Wetting processing apparatus and operation method thereof

Abstract

A wet processing apparatus and an operation method thereof are provided. The wet processing apparatus includes: a tank body including at least one side wall, the at least one side wall being provided with an opening extending from the inside to the outside of the tank body, and the tank body being configured to accommodate a wet processing solution; and a fixing device configured to fix the substrate at the opening of the side wall. The operation method of the wet processing apparatus includes: placing the substrate on an outer side of the side wall and at the position of the opening, and operating the fixing device to fix the substrate; and performing wet processing treatment on the substrate.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A wet processing apparatus for performing wet processing treatment on a substrate, comprising:
 a tank body comprising at least one side wall, the at least one side wall having an outer side and an opening extending from the inside to the outside of the tank body, the tank body being configured to accommodate a wet processing solution; 
 a substrate mounting plate having an inner side that is fixed to the outer side of, and around the opening of, the at least one side wall of the tank body, a hole positioned in the substrate mounting plate to correspond to a position of the opening in the at least one side wall of the tank body, an outer side opposed to the inner side, and a substrate mounting area on the outer side of the substrate mounting plate arranged around the hole; and 
 a fixing device comprising 
 (1) at least one clamping piece arranged on a periphery of the hole of the substrate mounting plate configured to fix the substrate over the hole on the substrate mounting plate and at the opening of the at least one side wall of the tank body, the at least one clamping piece comprises a supporting plate that comprises a receiving slot, and a clamping plate that is inserted into and capable of sliding in the receiving slot, between a retracted position disposed on the substrate mounting area and away from the hole of the substrate mounting plate, and an extended position disposed on the substrate mounting area and near the hole of the substrate mounting plate, and 
 (2) a second driving mechanism, wherein the second driving mechanism is configured to drive at least one part of the at least one clamping piece along a second direction perpendicular to the outer side of the substrate mounting plate on which the substrate is fixed, so that the at least one part of the at least one clamping piece applies a pressure towards the substrate mounting area. 
 
     
     
       2. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the fixing device is disposed at the outer side of the at least one side wall of the tank body. 
     
     
       3. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the fixing device is disposed on the substrate mounting plate. 
     
     
       4. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the fixing device comprises two or more clamping pieces arranged on a periphery of the hole of the substrate mounting plate. 
     
     
       5. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the fixing device comprises a first driving mechanism;
 wherein the first driving mechanism is configured to slide the clamping plate along a first direction from the retracted position, to the extended position, wherein the first direction is parallel to the outer side of the substrate mounting plate on which the substrate is fixed. 
 
     
     
       6. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one clamping piece comprises a connecting plate disposed on the supporting plate and fixed to the first driving mechanism, the connecting plate comprises a cam slot extending in a direction between the first direction and a third direction to form an angle greater than 0° and less than 90° with the first direction, and a protrusion is fixed on the clamping plate and passes through the supporting plate to cooperate with the cam slot; and
 wherein the first driving mechanism is configured to drive the connecting plate along the third direction which is parallel to the outer side of the substrate mounting plate and perpendicular to the first direction, so that the protrusion moves in the cam slot along an extension direction of the cam slot, and the clamping plate slides in the receiving slot of the supporting plate along the first direction. 
 
     
     
       7. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the fixing device further comprises a pivotal shaft connected to a middle part of the supporting plate, the middle part being between an outer end portion of the supporting plate away from the clamping plate, and an inner end portion of the supporting plate near the clamping plate; wherein the second driving mechanism is configured to drive the outer end portion of the supporting plate to move away from the substrate mounting plate along the second direction, so that the supporting plate rotates about the pivotal shaft, the inner end portion of the supporting plate moves towards the substrate mounting plate along the second direction, and the clamping plate applies the pressure towards the substrate mounting area. 
     
     
       8. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the clamping plate comprises a cantilever element and a clamping end, the cantilever element is configured to be inserted into the receiving slot of the supporting plate, and the clamping end extends from an end of the cantilever element towards the substrate mounting plate and is configured to apply the pressure towards the substrate mounting plate; and
 wherein in a case that the supporting plate is parallel to the substrate mounting plate, a first distance between the pivotal shaft and the second driving mechanism measured in the first direction is greater than a second distance between the pivotal shaft and the clamping plate measured in the first direction. 
 
     
     
       9. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the first distance is twice the second distance. 
     
     
       10. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the clamping plate comprises a cantilever element and a clamping end, the cantilever element is configured to be inserted into the receiving slot of the supporting plate, and the clamping end extends from an end of the cantilever element towards the substrate mounting plate and is configured to apply the pressure towards the substrate mounting plate; and
 wherein the wet processing apparatus comprises at least one sealing element disposed in a first area of the substrate mounting plate around the hole, a second area of the at least one side wall around the opening, or a combination thereof, and a position at which the clamping end applies the pressure towards the substrate mounting plate at least partially overlaps with a position of the sealing element in the direction perpendicular to the substrate mounting plate. 
 
     
     
       11. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the clamping plate comprises a plurality of clamping ends, and positions at which the plurality of clamping ends apply the pressure towards the substrate mounting plate are at least partially overlapped with the position of the sealing element in the second direction perpendicular to the outer side of the substrate mounting plate. 
     
     
       12. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the wet processing apparatus further comprises a cleaning solution conduit at a bottom wall of the tank body for transferring a cleaning solution. 
     
     
       13. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a wet processing solution drive device disposed in the tank body and facing the opening,
 wherein the wet processing solution drive device is configured to drive the wet processing solution to flow towards the opening. 
 
     
     
       14. The wet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sealing element disposed in a first area of the substrate mounting plate around the hole, a second area of the at least one side wall around the opening, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       15. The wet processing apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a pressure detecting hole aligned with the at least one sealing element for detecting an air pressure around the at least one sealing element. 
     
     
       16. An operation method of the wet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
 placing the substrate on the substrate mounting plate and at the opening, and operating the fixing device to fix the substrate; and 
 performing the wet processing treatment on the substrate. 
 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the substrate mounting plate is provided with a hole and a substrate mounting area distributed around the hole, and a position of the hole corresponds to a position of the opening; and
 wherein placing the substrate on the substrate mounting plate and at the position of the opening and operating the fixing device to fix the substrate comprises: 
 operating the fixing device to fix the substrate on the substrate mounting plate.